Platform 5

I had been a nurse at the hospital for several years. I was a 'floater', a nurse not signed to a particular department and so I worked my way around many of its wards. I had been working in accident and emergency all week and I was exhausted. This is the busiest department and always understaffed but that wasn’t the reason I was glad it was over. The craziness of my days had spilled over into the bizarre dreams I was having in the night.

I was on a train platform. Platform 5. I wasn't sure if the number was significant. I was sat next to a man who had his eyes closed. But he wasn’t sleeping. he told me to help him. I asked how and he told me I had to find his wife’s wedding band. I asked if he had dropped it getting the feeling the man was blind and he said no and passed me a card for a pawn shop then I woke up.

The following night I was standing in front of.. you guessed it, a pawn shop and I entered and asked to see the wedding bands. I was shown many that all looked the same but I was drawn to a particular one despite it having no unusual markings. The owner said 'Jean Dough sold it to me,, it isn’t stolen is it?' and before I could I answer I woke up. I was bemused by the name thinking I must have signed too much paper work with drunks refusing to provide their details.

The 3rd night I was on the train.

'Did you find it? the man with his eyes shut asked. I dug into my pocket to get the ring but I didn’t have it.

'She bought it back' he stated confidently

I looked at him confused.

'She doesn’t want anyone to know its missing'

And again I woke up.

The fourth night I was pretty restless. I seemed to be having dreams but I was feeling like I was getting no sleep. It was like I had actually been running around in my dreams. But it didn’t stop me from seeing that man again.

'This is your stop'

I looked around and got off the train. The station was familiar because I had been cutting through it on foot to get to work. But it was night and it was deserted. There was a woman in front of me at the platform. She had a hood up and I couldn’t see her face and she was shoving the man from the train.

'Hey!' I shouted but I didn’t move. I saw her give one huge shove and as the man fell backwards I jerked like I had fell and I woke up.

The next day as I cut through the train station I mindlessly walked over to the platform where my dream had happened. I peered over the platform when a conductor put his arm out.

'Not too close Missy' he said kindly 'We had a fella fall off in that exact spot a few weeks back'

I felt sick. 'Was he okay?' I asked

'Dunno, sorry Missy' he apologised and off he went.

I continued on to work with it niggling away at me. I shook it off as coincidence and the shift in A&E went as crazy as it could of done.

I hesitated going to bed that night. I didn’t want to dream of seeing a body on the tracks or seeing the fall happen again. I needed rest. But rest is not what I got.

I was sat on the train again beside the man with the closed eyes.

'She was cheating' he whispered 'I caught her. She gave him the ring to keep quiet. But needed it back because I lived. Will you help me?'

And I woke. I woke with the dream ending how it started.

I had one more shift in the A&E department. It went smoothly, was the quietest it had been all week. there was no drunks, and no one shouted abuse at me for the first time in 4 days. And after it was all over a long soak in the bath and a good night’s sleep was all I needed. And it is what I got. There was no dreams, no strange men and no trains and I woke ready for my shift rested and bright eyed. I was directed to Ward 5C when I arrived. The quiet ward. This is where you go if you are terminally ill, living out your final days or if you are a coma patient. It was a sad ward but the work was easy and it was nice to go from somewhere so hectic to having a break. The ward was separated into two. I started off in 5C-1 the terminals. There were many families in here and they gave polite smiles and nods of their heads. Nothing could be said. Many read bibles and some just stroked and held their loved ones as gave medication and checked vitals.

I slept through again well rested for 2 nights. I put it down to the stress of the accident and emergency and the quieter shifts allowing my body to relax stopping the crazy I had going on in my head. I entered the ward when the head nurse asked me to help out in 5C-2. 'One of the nurses called in sick' I nodded and started my shift.

I had gone through 6 patients, bathing them and turning them over so they didn’t get bed sores when I picked up the next clipboard. 'John Doe' It said. I looked at the man and dropped the clipboard just as the other nurse came in.

'Are you alright' she asked concerned 'You look like you’ve seen a ghost'

'I know this man' I stammered

'You do? she said

'Yes, well no, I’ve seen him in my dreams'

She gave me a look which only said if you’re going crazy I’m going to have to send you home. I needed to react quick. I laughed. 'Maybe he’s my prince charming'

I picked up the clipboard and looked at it. 'He’s a John Doe?' I quizzed

'Yeah, found him on the train tracks in the station down the road the police came yesterday to see if he woke, they still have no leads... are you sure you’re okay?

'I’m fine, a little tired I suppose, busy week downstairs, you mind if I take a break?'

I headed to the locker room and got out my phone. I rang the police and told them I had information on the train track victim. I told them to look for his wife Jean Dough, gave them info on the pawn shop and told them to ask about a gold ring. I didn’t want to tell them how I knew or my name and I put the phone down and continued on my shift. The nurse put me back into the first room which was probably best but when I got chance I would sneak in and check on the man that was in my dreams.

Two more days passed by when the nurse entered to see me standing over the John Doe.

'Police just called' she said.

I looked up wide eyed.

'His name is Philip Dough. Turns out they had an anonymous call and they got some good leads. His wife Jean was having an affair and he found out. They argued she tried to kill him but someone saw. She tried to give the witness her wedding ring to keep quiet but then tried to get it back when she realised people would get suspicious. He runs a pawn shop apparently.'

She changed the details on his clipboard and as she put it back he reached out and grabbed my wrist. His eyes were wide open. The nurse ran to help move his arm but he gripped tighter looked directly at me and whispered thank you. I stood frozen to the spot as the nurse released his grip and placed his hand on the bed. I jerked back into reality when she brushed past to check his vitals only to see they hadn’t changed at all throughout his wakening. She called for a doctor but as one finally arrived the man from my dreams slowly slipped into his last sleep.

I was on platform 5 watching Philip smile and wave from the window of the train as it pulled out of the station. I sensed its last stop would be his final destination. So cliched. I woke saddened by the loss of this man that I didn't know but smiling because I know I helped and more importantly I felt well rested.